Orville Wright made another record soaring flight of 9 3/4 minutes on October 24, 1911 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Wilbur and Orville Wright's First Flight
December 17, 1903
The announcement of the Wright brothers' successful flight ignited the world's passion for flying. Engineers designed their own flying machines, people of all ages wanted to see the flights, and others wanted to sit behind the controls and fly. The brothers continued to make longer and faster flights.

The U.S. Army, seeing potential in the new technology, signed a contract with the Wright brothers in 1908 for the purchase of a machine that could travel with a passenger at a speed of 40 miles per hour. Today's commercial jet airplanes routinely travel at 600 miles per hour.